But through faith, family and friends, he’s well on his way to making a miraculous recovery from a September accident.

The Tuscarawas Valley High and Buckeye Career Center senior was seriously injured in a one-vehicle accident Sept. 24 and was hospitalized for 32 days, mostly in the intensive care unit at Mercy Medical Center in Canton.

He later spent 18 days at the Ohio State University Medical Center Dodd Hall Rehabilitation Center before coming home the week before Thanksgiving.

Matthew suffered three skull fractures in the accident as he was returning to his Middle Run Road home from a football team get-together at the residence of his aunt and uncle near Atwood Lake.

“I feel great,” said Matthew. “I’m pretty close to normal. I should be way worse. A lot of people didn’t think I was going to walk or talk again. My walking is a little off, but I’m getting better every day.”

Matthew is the eldest son of Kenny and Beth Kohler. Younger brothers Adam and Luke round out the family.

“The power of prayer is great,” said Beth. “The only way Matthew survived that accident is through God. We truly believe that. We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.”

The Tuscarawas Valley community has rallied around the Kohler family offering prayers and helping any way it can as Matthew continues to recover from his injuries.

Many fundraisers, such as selling Matt Kohler No. 58 buttons, “Prayers for Matt” wristbands and “Play Hard Pray Hard” T-shirts, were sold during football season.

A Scrap for Matt event was held in the TVHS parking lot Nov. 17, in which scrap metal items including automobiles, aluminum cans, farm equipment, washers, dryers, refrigerators and freezers were collected.

That same evening, a Matt Kohler benefit dinner was held at the Wilkshire Banquet Center.

More than $7,000 was raised through the events.

“Our community has been beyond great,” said Beth. “I was with Matthew almost the whole entire time, and our family never went without meals. People have sent us gas cards, gift cards. It’s been unbelievable.

“Through this whole journey, we were never alone,” added Beth. “We’re very fortunate.”

In addition to his home school of Tusky Valley and Buckeye Career Center, neighboring rival Sandy Valley and fellow Principals Athletic Conference schools such as Indian Valley and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy have aided in Kohler’s cause with fundraisers.

Also, a “Prayers for Matt” Facebook page has been established for those who want to offer support or to just keep updated in Matthew’s progress.

“Facebook has been a friend,” said Kenny. “We can give updates on Matt’s condition just one time instead of making hundreds of phone calls.”

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Matthew, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound two-way senior offensive and defensive lineman, lost 30 pounds due to the accident, but has since gained 20 back.

It all happened on Sept. 24 when he lost control of his truck after he was pulled off to the right side, overcorrected and ended up going off the other side of the road where he went over an embankment and slammed into a number of trees.

He was taken to Mercy and was placed into an induced coma. Part of his skull was removed in a 3 1/2 -hour operation to alleviate pressure.

That part of his skull was frozen at Mercy and was put back in another two-hour operation last week. His family says he will be back home in time for Christmas today.

“Our lives were going on just like everyone else and then it changed in a blink of an eye,” said Beth. “It takes one phone call and your life changes forever.”

“Thirty years ago people wouldn’t have survived an accident like that,” said Beth. “Things have come so far and we had a great surgeon.”

The waiting was the hardest part.

“We just didn’t know how he was going to be until he woke up,” said Beth. “He looked at my husband and said, “Where am I?” That the first time we had heard him speak and we knew he was going to be all right.”

His prognosis at the beginning was very poor, but he has far exceeded the medical staffers’ expectations through his hard work and determination.

“I worked a lot harder than some of the people around me who didn’t want to get better,” said Matt. “Another thing that helped me survive is that I was physically fit through football and wrestling and I wanted to get better.”

Other than his brain injury, he suffered no other major internal injuries. He has lost some hearing from his right ear and still has left side weakness.

Matthew turned 18 on Oct. 20 when he was in Mercy. He was still on a feeding tube at the time so needless to say there was no birthday cake or ice cream.

Matthew gradually improved and he was able to start a rehabilitation program at the Canton hospital.

After his stay at Mercy, Matthew was transferred to Dodd Hall in Columbus which specializes in traumatic brain injuries.

Intense physical therapy all day long followed and at one point he was able to walk from Dodd Hall to Ohio Stadium and back.

“They kept telling us all along through his whole ordeal that it was going to take baby steps, baby steps,” said Beth. “He had to learn to walk, eat, and re-learn everything again.”

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After 18 days at Dodd, Matthew came home for the Tusky Valley football banquet the week before Thanksgiving where he received a standing ovation and was awarded the Mr. Aeneas Award, representing the Trojan War hero.

He is continuing physical, speech and occupational therapy three times a week for 45 minutes a session back at Mercy.

Matthew attends Buckeye Career Center where he was studying industrial electricity with hopes of becoming a linesman one day. Matthew also hopes to become an ambassador for brain injury victims and encourage them on their road to recovery.

Waynesburg and Magnolia fire departments were one of the first on the scene to help extricate Matthew from his truck that fateful night and their jobs have piqued his interest as well.

“Firefighters really helped me out a lot,” said Matthew. “I want to do the same thing they did for me. They saved my life.”